Celebration set to welcome Oregon's new trains

Oregon Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 07/19/2013 08:12 AM PDT

July 18, 2013

For more information: Jyll Smith, ODOT Public Affairs, 503-986-3825 or

Rick Little, Public Information Officer, 541-726-2442 or 541-505-2069 (mobile)

Public is invited to officially welcome Talgo trains to the Amtrak Cascades corridor

 

EUGENE, Ore. – Passenger rail fans in Oregon have reason to celebrate: the state of Oregon’s two new 13-car trainsets will soon be in revenue service, running the tracks of the Willamette Valley and beyond. Supporters will gather for a ribbon-cutting on Friday, July 26, and the public is invited to attend and enjoy refreshments, giveaways and a sneak peek at one of the trains!

 

What:              “Welcome, Oregon trains!” public celebration for Oregon’s new trainsets

When:             Friday, July 26, 2:30 p.m.

Where:            Eugene Amtrak Station, 433 Willamette St. (FREE parking is available in the Hult Center garage, 7th & Olive, on the 2nd floor and above)

 

Who:               Congressman Peter DeFazio, State Representative Nancy Nathanson, Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy and other dignitaries will cut the ribbon on the new train; guests include representatives from Amtrak, Talgo, Federal Highway Administration, Oregon Passenger Rail advisory committee volunteers and other partners

 

Adding Oregon-owned trains to the Cascades corridor will ensure passenger train service from Eugene to Portland, and give Oregonians more options now and in the future. ODOT purchased the two trainsets using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds. The trains were designed by Talgo and manufactured and assembled in Wisconsin, per Buy America requirements. Talgo officials will be on-hand at the event, where one of the Series 8 train will debut. 

 

Each of Oregon’s new Talgo Series 8 trains seats 286 passengers, incorporate a state of the art tilting system, and includes a cab-car, bistro car, dining car, bicycle storage, business class seating, Wi-Fi and other amenities. The two trainsets will join five others in the Amtrak Cascades corridor, three owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation and two owned by Amtrak. The names of Oregon’s two new trains, in keeping with the protocol of the other five in the corridor, are “Mt. Bachelor” and “Mt. Jefferson” – chosen after a survey more than 1,000 Oregonians participated in earlier this year.

 

 

For event information, visit http://oregontalgotrains.eventbrite.com/.